Automatic vent device



April 23, 1940. M. LlPscHl-rz AUTOMATIC VENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 31. 193s M M M e 4 6 3g Nl Z 6% Z s J 1 W w A ,uunnuhhlunnn j /4/ /VV` INVENroR. M/L ro/v /Psc/f/ rz ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNETED STATES PTENT GFFHCE K AUTOMATIC VENT DEVICE e Milton Lipschitz, Jersey City, N. J.

Application December 31, 1938, Serial No. 248,714

6 Claims.

The invention relates to venting means for permitting the escape of entrapped air from radiators of heating systems, particularly the usual hot water heating systems. Heretofore, it has been the usual practice to manually open or remove a vent connection of a radiator of the system to clear the former of the entrapped air, which operation no only was troublesome and inconvenient but resulted frequently in spillage of water.

The present invention has for an object to provide means whereby the entrapped air will escape automatically from a radiator to which the device is attached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a .novel construction of venting device whereby the venting is accomplished in a simple and effective manner, the device withal being readily and economically manufactured and installed.

In carrying out the invention, the novel venting means is constructed in the form of a shell or container designed for attachmentv at the upper portion of a radiator toafford communication between the latter and the shell at its lower portion or bottom. At the top, the shell is provided with a valve-controlled outlet designed to prevent leakage from the radiator aswell as entrance of air thereto when water or steam is withdrawn from the radiator or a portion thereof. This shell, moreover, affords a lioat chamber for a iioat suitably mounted therein to move vertically of the shell.

The float in turn is designed to engage a tubular exible and collapsible element whose one end is connected with the valve controlledv outlet and whose other end is positioned in the upper portion of the shell interior to remove from the same air entrapped in a radiator to which the shell is connected. Provision is made forcollaps- 40 ing this tube at one or more portions and in a manner such that only a slight force is required to eifect a complete shut-off of the communication between the interior of the shell and the outlet thereof. This is effected by providing the closure at a point removed more or less from the point of engagement of the float with the said tube, for example, by bending or kinking the tube at a point intermediate its length.

The nature of the invention, however, will best 50 be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the novel venting device as attached to a radiator coil, a portion of which is also shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the device and sealing the communication to the external atmosphere.

Referring to the drawing, l0 designates a coil or column of a radiator, for example, ofa hot water heating system, in which case water will occupy substantially the interior of the column during normal operation. However, in view of the fact that water usually holds by absorption more or less air, which is released in the radiator as the water circulates, such air will collect in the upper portion of the radiator, more especially in the end column or coil thereof. When a substantial portion of the radiator thus becomes filled with air, the eliciencvof the heating or radiating surface is accordingly diminished and it becomes necessary from time to time to vent'the radiator of this entrapped air. In the embodiment illustrated, such air is indicated, Fig. 1, as above the level I I of the water therein.` e

The novel device for automatically venting this air is shown as attached to the upper portion of the column l0 by a suitable fitting i 2, said device comprising the shell l5 communicating at thebottom through sai'd A'tting, with the column and having a removable" top l5 screwed thereon arid carrying avalve-coiitroled outlet il. The latter embodies' a tube I3' threaded' at its outer end to receive a screw cap i9 provided', with an aperture 2'0 for discharge of air from the interior of the shell I5', as hereinafter set forth. vTube 'lli carries also a bushing affording a valve seat 2l from which extends inwardly into the upper' portion of the interior of shell l5 a rigid outlet tubev 22'.'

As indicatedy in Fig.' `1 ofthe drawing, a valve piece, as the ball 23, normally seats infthevalve seat 2l to close off the communication between the interior of shell i5 andthe cap i9, tl'iussealing the shell; and. in Fig. 3 afneedle valve 213 guided in the cap 25 serves the same purpose..-NeedleA valve 2li, moreover, is provided'with a flange 26 in proximity to thevtop ofthe cap to limit outward excursion of thevalve, as well as to permit 1` 4forded as the float rises in the shell.

whose top then shoulders against the flange 25. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the ball 23 may be similarly locked through engagement therewith of a rod 21, attached to the cap I9, when said cap is screwed down upon the tube i8.

A bracket 30 is also carried by the top I6 within the upper portion of the shell l5, and there depends therefrom a suitable vertical guide as the U-shaped member 3| extending substantially to the bottom of the shell and affording a guide and bottom stop for a iloat 32. This float will rise or fall vertically of the shell in accordance with the level of the water therein as received from column Il).

To vent the air, there is attached to the tube 22 a further but flexible and collapsible tube 35 as of rubber or other flexible material which may be collapsed by kinking the same. The free end 3S of this tube is positioned in the upper end of the shell, as indicated, so that air within the shell will be expelled therefrom under pressure of the advancing water in the radiating device, through the valve 2l--23 and aperture 20 of the cap I9. When the required volume has been thus removed, which will occur when the water reaches the device and thereby raises ioat 32, as indicated in Fig. 2, provision must be made to close off communication through tube 35.

In accordance with the invention, this is effected, not by direct pressure of the float member against the tube to constrict a portion thereat, but by utilizing the movement of the float more quickly and with greater force to effect a collapse of the tube at one or more portions thereof. Thus, the tube is bent as at 37, Fig. l, or formed into a circular portion 38, Fig. 3, and the bent or circular portions will be quickly kinked or doubled through the substantial leverage af- In the former instance, a kink 39, Fig. 2, is provided in the tube and serves to seal off leffectively the shell from external communication; and in the latter embodiment, two kinks 40 and 4|, Fig. 4, are provided in the tube to doubly insure such sealing. As the float recedes, the tube resumes its normal form, to afford communication therethrough. However, access to the interior of the shell will be blocked at the valve 2!-23, or by the valve stem 24, as the case may be, soV that air may not be drawn into the heating system.

I claim:

1. A float valve for radiators of a heating system, comprising a shell having a radiator connection at the bottom and provided with a vent outlet at the top, and float means mounted for vertical movement within the shell, a rigid support member carried by the shell to aiford an abutment element within its upper portion, and a tube of resilient and collapsible material located within the shell and carried by said support member, one end of' the tube being connected with the vent outlet and its other end being located by said support member at the uppermost portion of the shell, an intermediate portion of the tube being located between said support member abutment and the top of the float means which is adapted for engagement therewith to press the same toward the abutment for collapsing the tube at a point removed from the point of engagement of the float therewith.

2. A float valve for radiators of a heating system, comprising a shell having a radiator connection at the bottom and provided with a vent outlet at the top, and float means mounted for vertical movement within the shell, a rigid supporting bracket attached to the upper portion of the shell and having an arm extending transversely thereof in proximity to the top of the float means, and a tube of resilient and collapsible material carried by said bracket, one end of the tube being connected with the vent outlet and its other end retained by said bracket in the uppermost portion of the shell and opening to the interior thereof, an intermediate portion of the tube being held to the arm of the bracket between the same and the top of the float means which is adapted for engagement therewith to press the same toward the bracket arm for collapsing the tube at a point removed from the point of engagement of the float therewith.

3. A ioat valve for radiators of a heating system, comprising a shell having a radiator connection at the bottom and provided with a vent outlet at the top, and oat means mounted for vertical movement within the shell, a rigid supporting bracket attached to the upper portion of the shell and having an arm extending transversely thereof in proximity to the top of the float means, and a tube of resilient and collapsible material doubled upon itself and carried by said bracket, one end being connected with the vent outlet and the other retained by the bracket in the uppermost portion of the shell and opening to the interior thereof, the doubled portion of the tube being located between the bracket arm and the top of the float means which is adapted for engagement therewith to press the same toward the bracket arm for collapsing the tube at a point removed from the point of engagement of the float therewith.

4. A float valve for radiators of a heating system, comprising a shell having a radiator connection at the bottom and provided with a vent outlet at the top, and float means mounted for vertical movement within the shell, a rigid supporting bracket attached to the upper portion of the shell and having an arm extending transversely thereof in proximity to the top of the oat means, and a tube of resilient and collapsible material carried by said bracket, one end of the tube being connected with the vent outlet and its other end passing through 'the bracket and terminating in the uppermost portion of the shell and opening to the interior thereof, an intermediate portion of the tube being located between the bracket arm and the top of the float means which is adapted for engagement therewith to press the same toward the bracket arm for collapsing the tube at a point removed from the point of engagement of the iloat therewith.

5. A float valve for radiators of a heating system, comprising a shell having a radiator connection at the bottom and provided with a vent outlet at the top, and float means mounted for vertical movement within the shell, a rigid support member carried by the shell to alford an abutment element within its upper portion and having a downwardly directed rod extension passing longitudinally of the float means for guiding the latter in its vertical movement, and a tube of resilient and collapsible material located within the shell and carried by Said support member, one end of the tube being connected with the vent outlet and its other end being located by said support member at the uppermost portion of the shell, an intermediate portion of the tube being located between said support member `abutment and the top of the float means which is adapted for engagement therewith to press the same toward the abutment for collapsing the tube at a point removed from the point of engagement of the oat therewith.

6. A float valve for radiators of a heating system, comprising a shell having a radiator connection at the bottom and provided with a vent outlet at the top, and oat means mounted for vertical movement Within the shell, a rigid support member carried by the shell and having an arm extending transversely thereof in proximity to the top of the float means and also a rod extension downwardly directed from the arm and passing longitudinally of the oat means for guiding the latter in its vertical movement, said arm aiording an abutment element within the upper portion of the'shell, and a tube ofv resilient and collapsible material located within the shell and carried by said support member, one end of the tube being connected with the vent outlet and its other end being located by said support member at the uppermost portion of the Shell, an intermediate portion of the tube being located between said transversely extending arm and the top of the oat means which is adapted for engagement therewith to press the same toward the abutment for collapsing the tube at a point removed from the point of engagement. of the float therewith.

MILTON LIPSCHITZ. 

